Russia Says Belarus Elections ‘Free and Fair’

Russia has praised Sunday's parliamentary elections in Belarus as being free and fair, despite strong Western criticism of the polls.

In a statement Tuesday, Russia's foreign ministry said Moscow is convinced that Belarusians were able to make “a conscious choice” for their candidates. It said Western criticism of the elections was politically motivated.

On Monday, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the elections lacked neutrality, impartiality and proper counting procedures. It said prominent political figures who might have played a role in the elections remained in prison or were not eligible to register because of their criminal records.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the vote fell short of international standards for a free and fair election.